The New York Mets announced Tuesday they placed catcher Travis d’Arnaud on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain.
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Collins Comments on d’Arnaud’s Status
Tuesday, April 26
Marc Carig of Newsday provided comments from Mets manager Terry Collins:
Injuries Continue to Plague d’Arnaud
Tuesday, April 26
“I felt it bark up,” d’Arnaud said, per Cash Kruth of MLB.com. “I decided to say something. We’ll find out more tomorrow. I’ve never experienced it before. That’s why I said something, just to be safe.”
D’Arnaud was a highly regarded prospect early in his career, but injuries became major roadblocks in his development. He didn’t make his MLB debut until his age-24 season (2013), and he appeared in 175 games from 2014-15.
Just 13 games into the 2015 campaign, a pitch from Miami Marlins reliever A.J. Ramos hit him in the hand:
D’Arnaud only made it eight games before he was forced to miss more time after injuring his elbow while attempting to tag out Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski:
Considering he missed nearly 100 games, d’Arnaud’s 2015 numbers are impressive. He hit 12 home runs and drove in 41 runs in 268 plate appearances. He also boasted a .268/.340/.485 slash line. If he can stay healthy, d’Arnaud has the talent to be an All-Star-caliber catcher, but his durability will be a major question mark until he proves otherwise.
At the very least, his previous health issues leave the Mets well-prepared to compensate for his absence. Kevin Plawecki was Plan B at catcher last year, and the same will hold true in 2016 if d’Arnaud is forced to miss a lot of time.
Adam Rubin of ESPN noted d’Arnaud’s catcher ERA is 3.77 and Plawecki’s is 2.74 for their careers.
Meanwhile, Rene Rivera will back up Plawecki behind the plate. Rivera averaged .178 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 110 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last year. In eight appearances with New York’s Triple-A affiliate in 2016, he hit .280 and slugged .320.
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